(Friday 11/19/2010) I was trying to hunt a new spot on public land that didn't turn out how I planned, so I decided to still hunt on the 1.5+ mile walk back to the truck and just enjoy the morning in the woods.
I was a good ways back up in a creek bottom that was covered in oak trees. I noticed a lot of acorn caps on top of the leaves, so I thought deer may be using the area. I kept easing my way through the bottom and something up the way caught my eye. I pulled out my binoculars and I could see that it was a buck with a set of forward-swept horns, although I couldn't tell exactly how many points. I pancaked right there – I mean belly in the mud, face in the leaves – and crawled up to the nearest tree. I put my arm up on the tree for an anchor for my Omega and drew the hammer. I was bringing the crosshairs down on him for about a 100 yard shot when all of a sudden I heard a 4 wheeler crank in the distance off to my right. He popped his head up and looked in the direction of the noise, flipped his tail, and trotted off. I was stunned. So mad i almost threw up. Here I had just stalked up on a buck on public land of all places only to watch him evaporate in front of me. I sat there in the same spot for about 20 minutes thinking about what had just happened. Then I thought that maybe if I just hung out he may come back since he didn't seem all that alarmed when he took off and I knew that he had not seen me.
So I got up moved over about 400 yards across the bottom and sat behind a fallen tree, which provided a better wind position and also more concealment. I sat there for about an hour and a half watching the squirrels and listening to them play around in the leaves and making all kinds of racket. The sun poked out from behind a tree and came across my legs and I was drifting to sleep in its warmth. I was slouched back and my eyes were in the fluttering stage that comes just before sleep when all of a sudden the same buck I had seen earlier came out on a steady march right over my left shoulder no more than 25 yards away. I had to fight my natural urge to sit up since he would no doubt see me. I managed to keep still, but now I had a whole new problem and that was that he was gonna walk straight into my wind cause he came in on a side I didn’t expect. And sure enough he did. He got directly downwind of me and froze on the spot and I knew I was busted for a second time! He spun around on a dime and took off out of there on a dead sprint. I mean that buck was moving. I had to make a split-second decision about what to do and I thought, 'I’m not about to let this deer get out of here for a second time. I am gonna kill this buck." So I pulled my gun off my shooting stick and followed him in my scope for about 60 yards. He ran into a relatively clear area of the bottom and when he was about 60 - 75 yards away I hollered at him. I hollered “Hey...Hey...HEY” and on the third time he slowed down to a walk/trot. Somehow the whole thing was just meant to be cause it was a freehand shot while he was moving, but I connected with his lungs. He dropped right there on the spot.
I reloaded and walked over to him. I thanked the Lord for this incredible blessing and second chance and this great (for me) buck. I cleaned him and dragged his heavy butt .7 mile back to the truck. That drag was one of the most physically arduous hours of my life, but I had a smile on my face the whole way.
I apologize for the long post, but thanks for reading it. You guys have no idea how much I have learned from your posts. Thank you, all of you.